Broker Recommendations
JPMorgan downgrades Anglo American, cites poor risk/reward
JPMorgan Cazenove downgraded its stance on Anglo American to 'neutral' on Wednesday, exiting its three-year conviction 'overweight' on the stock as it highlighted three reasons for the move and recommended a tactical short Anglo versus long Glencore into first-half results in July/August.
Jefferies starts DWF Group at 'buy', sees 40% upside
Analysts at Jefferies have initiated coverage of DWF Group at 'buy' with a 165p target price, pointing to a slew of potential positives for the international legal services firm - subject to management's ability to execute successfully.
Travis Perkins boosted by double-upgrade at BofA Merrill Lynch
Shares in builders' merchant Travis Perkins got a boost on Tuesday as Bank of America Merrill Lynch double-upgraded it to 'buy' from 'underperform' and hiked its price target to 1,700p from 1,000p, pointing to upside from an improving volume backdrop, asset disposals and a new chief executive.
Berenberg initiates coverage of 'growth stock' Man Group at 'buy'
Berenberg has initiated coverage of Man Group shares with a ‘buy’ recommendation, arguing that it is a “compelling growth stock”.
Morgan Stanley reiterates 'overweight' stance on Rolls-Royce
Analysts at Morgan Stanley reiterated their 'overweight' recommendation for shares of British engineering company Rolls-Royce on Tuesday, with improved cash flow quality expected to result in an increased focus on its improving fundamentals over the next twelve to eighteen months.
Little upside to current Close Brothers valuation, says RBC Capital
RBC Capital Markets initiated coverage of Close Brothers with a 'sector perform' rating and 1,500p price target on Tuesday, highlighting little upside at the current valuation.
Tuesday broker round-up
Smurfit Kappa: Goldman Sachs downgrades to sell with a target price of 2,475p.
Barclays says crude oil gains justified after US pushes for zero Iran exports
Analysts at Barclays Research said Washington's decision to "tighten" the screws on Iran would do the same to the oil market, posing a "material" risk to their 2019 oil price forecasts, while increasing the odds of a potential conflict in the Middle East, but not for the longer term.
Credit Suisse ups target price on JD Sports
Analysts at Credit Suisse upped their target price on retailer JD Sports from 500p to 680p on Thursday, noting that profit contributions from the recently acquired US sneaker chain Finish Line looked set to triple over the next half a decade.
JPMorgan upgrades Countryside Properties after reassuring update
JPMorgan Cazenove upped its stance on Countryside Properties to 'neutral' from 'underweight' on Thursday following the stock's year-to-date underperformance and a reassuring update on the earnings outlook a day earlier.
RBC reiterates 'sector perform' rating on BHP despite disappointing quarter
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets reiterated their 'sector perform' rating on BHP following "another disappointing operational quarter", noting the performance was somewhat already priced in.
Wednesday broker round-up
ConvaTec: Barclays upgrades to equal weight with a target price of 130p.
Berenberg ups target price on 'top pick' JD Sports
Analysts at Berenberg upped their target price on retailer JD Sports on Wednesday, noting that several near-term tailwinds had helped the group pick up the pace from a jog to a sprint.
Tuesday broker round-up
Galliford Try: Peel Hunt downgrades to hold with a target price of 700p.
RBC initiates coverage on 'attractive' LondonMetric
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets initiated coverage on FTSE 250 real estate investment trust LondonMetric on Tuesday, calling the firm an "attractive opportunity" at a fair value.
RBC Capital Markets downgrades BP after strong performance
RBC Capital Markets downgraded its recommendation on shares of oil giant BP to 'outperform' from 'top pick' on Tuesday following a recent strong performance on an absolute basis and versus the sector.
MainFirst starts 'safe haven' InterContinental Hotels at 'outperform'
Shares in InterContinental Hotels got a boost on Tuesday as MainFirst initiated coverage of the stock at 'outperform' with a 5,600p price target, arguing that it's a safe haven with opportunities for growth acceleration.
Monday broker round-up
Compass Group: Barclays downgrades to equal weight with a target price of 1,850p.
JPMorgan goes 'neutral' on Centrica ahead of new UK pricing regulations
Analysts at JPMorgan downgraded British energy and services firm Centrica to 'neutral' on Monday, noting that price regulation in the UK now looked certain to adversely impact competition, leading to compressed market pricing and lower churn.